Mod Feelings
by TFKeyes
Summary: Kon is wonderding what's coming over him. Ririn wants to know when he will tell her the truth. Bleach is a wonderful product that I don't own
1. Chapter 1

Hi, I don't own Bleach but I want to. Enjoy the story and don't forget to review!

"GOOOOODDDDD MOOOOOOONNNNNIIIIINNNNNGGGG KOOOOOOON!!!!!" Isshin Kurosaki screamed as he executed one of his trademark 'Ultimate Morning Death' attacks.

Kon had witnessed so many of these attacks being committed on Ichigo that he had learned exactly what to do. He pulled the pillow around and rolled to his right allowing Isshin to miss his intended target and go flying harmlessly into the floor. Well harmless to Kon that is. Isshin slammed into the hardwood floor and skidded across the room ending up under the desk.

"You have learned your lessons well my adopted son." Isshin groaned as he slowly extracted himself from the desk. "Ichigo never learned to avoid my attack with so little effort. Come now, get dressed. Your sister is making breakfast." Isshin limped from the room.

"_Hi, My name is Kon Kurosaki. As a human I'm twelve years old. As a soul, I'm about sixty two. I look seventeen because I started out with the body of a five year old. I have Urahara to thank for that and I do mean to pay him back some day, with interest. I'm five feet eleven inches tall, brown hair, brown eyes and about eighty kilos blood type A+. My sister that Isshin was referring to is Ririn Kurosaki. She was a mod soul like me. We were retired from use so Urahara desided to let us have a life. At first I hated my sister but now… I tolerate her._

_Isshin adopted both of us when Ichigo and Rukia got married. Karin, my older sister, said it was because dad needed someone in the house. She acts all tough but she's a softy underneath it all. He is a good person for a crazy man and former captain from Soul Society."_

"Good Morning Ririn my sweet adopted daughter. How is daddy's little girl?" Isshin asked walking up behind her as she worked over breakfast.

"Get out of the kitchen Dad. Last time you came in here your burns required a visit to Ryūken Ishida to treat them. Do you want to repeat that visit?" Ririn asked with a sweet tone. She left out the part where she had slammed him over the head with the pan to get him to stop fighting with Kon.

"Ohhhhh! All my children are so cold to me. Where did I go wrong raising them!" He wailed as he made a line to the poster of his late wife.

"_Hi, My name is Ririn Kurosaki. I'm a mod soul, now human. My brother, Kon, and I were adopted by Isshin Kurosaki twelve years ago after Urahara tweaked some gigais and gave them to us. Thank God we don't still look like five year olds. What do I look like? I'm five feet two inches tall, blond hair down to my waist, blue eyes and blood type A+. My birth certificate says I'm seventeen, however I know for a fact that I'm closer to sixty. Kon and I get along pretty good now that we have been living under the same roof for twelve years and going to school together. He is a lot like Ichigo you know. I rarely ever see him without a scowl adorning his face, but it suits him."_

"Morning Ririn. What's for breakfast?" Kon asked coming down the stairs.

"Just the usual, nothing special. Did you finish that assignment for history class?" Ririn asked over her shoulder.

"Yeah, no problem there. What day is it?" Kon had screwed his face into an even tighter scowl as he tried to remember something.

"January thirteenth, Why?" asked Ririn having the feeling that she had forgotten something also.

Kon's eyes shot open full as his mouth opened in shock. "NEEEEE-SAN!!!! It's Rukia's birthday tomorrow! I have to get her a present! Ichigo would kill us if we forgot!"

"Baka mono Kon. Aren't you glad that you have me for a sister? I picked up her present last week." Ririn said with a self assured smugness. Privately she thought. _"Damn, I had forgotten the date! Thanks Kon."_

"What did you get her?" Asked Kon feeling somewhat relieved. _"Ririn, what would I do without you."_

"I picked up the collectors edition of Don Kanonji's Ghost Bust. Buwahahaha!" The last she said while crossing her arms over her chest.

Kon's scowl deepened at the mention of Don Kanonji's name. He had some very bad memories of the man.

"Oh get over it already Kon, He's going to be paying for our collage tuition with the royalties from the videos. Besides since he got that show over in America he hasn't been here to scrounge up the Karakura Superheroes. Thank God." Ririn said with a snicker.

"You've never been used as a soccer ball and kicked by Karin through the mask of a hollow have you." He said as a statement.

Ririn just laughed at that, having remembered the reruns of several shows showing a lion plushie being kicked by Karin Kurosaki through some hazy object and ending up looking like it had been through a war. "I know you have done a lot Kon but you looked so funny while you did it. I'm still proud of you Kon."

He grumbled a bit as he turned but inside he smiled. _"She is proud of me."_

**At school later that day:**

"Kon, have you seen where my lunch went?" Ririn was looking mad because she had spent plenty of time making the lunches that they both ate every day.

"Are you sure that you brought it with you?" Kon asked looking uninterested.

"Yes I'm sure! What do you take me for?" She replied tartly.

"No I haven't seen it." He pushed his bento box across the table. "Have some of mine. I'll look for it when we're done."

Out in the hallway several of the boys from the class are watching what happens between the two Kurosaki's. "She never leaves his side!" "It's almost like they are dating!" "How dare you Kurosaki!"

Back at the table, "They're doing it again. What is their problem?" Ririn commented without actually expecting an answer.

"What? You mean the fact that you happen to be about the only blond in the school and you also happen to be one of the best looking girls in the school? Or maybe because you spend all your time with me making them jealous of the attention I get." Kon answered in an off hand manner.

Ririn stopped eating when she heard Kon. She didn't think that she had heard right. "Would you say that again?"

"What part? Only blond in school?" Kon started to sweatdrop. He realized he had spoken out loud what he had been hiding for several years now. "Or the part where you make everyone jealous because you spend so much time with me?"

"You think I'm beautiful?" Ririn asked in a small voice. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes.

Kon glanced at her then looked out the window. He had remembered the way Rukia looked the first time Ichigo had said those words to her. Now he had done the same thing and didn't know what to do because it was out there. He looked out the window and spotted the shinigami Kurumadani Zennosuki chasing after the spirit of a girl trying to perform konsoh. "Yes I think you're beautiful. We're not really related unless you count Urahara having created us and all." He continued looking out the window hoping that she would drop it.

"KON KUROSAKI WHAT ARE YOU DOING MAKING THIS SWEET AND BEAUTIFUL GIRL CRY!!!!!" Yelled Keitaro Nitta, one of their classmates. "How dare you make such a lovely specimen of young womanhood cry you scoundrel."

Ririn slapped her hand on the table yelling "SHUT UP YOU MORON!" Her head was low with her bangs covering her eyes.

"Yeah that's right Kon, Shut up and leave her alone!" Keitaro yelled.

"No Keitaro, You shut up and stop butting in where you aren't part of the conversation!" a very angry Ririn said with fire in her eyes making Keitaro's knees go weak with fear. He swore that the flames in her eyes were real and very hot. He turned on his heel and sped away from the two Kurosakis like he had the hounds of hell on his trail.

Kon just smirked as he watched Keitaro scrambling to escape Ririn's wrath. "What is he seeing?" He asked her softly.

"Cerberus at feeding time! and he has on milkbone underwear." She said with a certain amount of satisfaction.

Kon rolled his eyes as he laughed. "Serves him right." Then he looked at Ririn, "Can we discuss this at home? I'm not so comfortable here talking about what I said."

"Sure, but I'm going to hold you to that." She said with a small smile. "Dad won't be home tonight because he has a meeting or something to go to, so you can talk then"

Kon felt his world closing in on him as he finished his part of the lunch.

Kon and Ririn walked home after school in silence because both of them were trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Their friends had dropped off one by one as they made their way back to the clinic.

"_What am I going to say, that I think she is cute and I like her? Boy that will come out lame and I can't look lame in front of her." _Kon was musing.

"_Damn him, we've been living together for twelve years and he has just gotten up the nerve to tell me I'm beautiful? Urahara must have made him mentally defective or something. Well tonight he better tell me what is on his mind or I'll kick him all the way to Soul Society."_

"I'm going to go and see Ichigo for a little while Ririn, I'll be home before dinner then we'll talk, ok?" Kon said looking strait ahead.

"Ok, as long as we talk." Then she did something that she had never done in her life. She kissed his cheek before running in the house.

After closing the door and leaning back against it her breath was coming hard and her mind was spinning. _"What the hell did I just do? I just kissed Kon! Oh My God! What is happening to me?"_

Outside on the street. _"She kissed me……….. What the hell happened!"_ Kon's heart was slamming against his chest threatening to escape. He felt light headed as he touched the spot that she had kissed. "I need to talk to Ichigo now."

"Oi, Kon, what brings you by?" Ichigo asked looking up from a stack of paperwork. "Is something wrong?"

The look on Kon's face couldn't be hidden no matter what he tried. "I think that I've made a mistake, Ichigo. I need to talk with you. I told Ririn that she was beautiful today at school and then she got this strange look, like she was about to cry. Then on the way home she kissed me on the cheek. Oh God I liked that so much and I didn't know how to react! Ichigo, what the hell is happening to me!"

"Well from the sounds of it, you fell in love with Ririn." Ichigo said with a grin on his face. "Of course being brother and sister does make things rather difficult, however you're not related actually so maybe if you kept quiet about it. Then again there is Dad, and you know what sort of reaction he is going to have."

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING ICHIGO!" Kon's face was the color of a fire engine and it even looked like wisps of steam were coming from his ears. "Ichigo, you know how much I hated her when we first met. I need to know why things have changed. I'm scared and mostly scared that I'll hurt her feelings."

"Well you can start by telling her how you feel." Came Rukia's voice from the doorway.

Kon cringed. "How long have you been listening Nee-san?"

"Long enough to know that if you want to date this girl, you have to tell her how you feel about her. Right Ichigo?" Rukia said expecting full agreement from her husband. She was so sure of the answer that she didn't even hang around to listen to it.

"I hate to say it Kon, but she is right. You have to be honest with Ririn. You're both a lot more mature than any of your classmates which is probably why you both haven't dated anyone yet. The both of you have a history and a common background. Face it, if you like her tell her." Ichigo said with a kind smile on his face.

Kon thanked him and left for home. When he got there he stood outside the door for a few moments trying to formulate his thoughts. _"You and I are alike, and I have known you for a long time now and I like you. I guess that I've liked you for a long time now but I've been afraid to tell you. Yah, that's what I'll say." _He opened the door and checked for the standard sneak attack from Isshin before entering the house. "I'm back!" he called out while putting on his slippers.

"Good, you're just in time for dinner." Ririn called back from the kitchen.

Kon got to the dining room and stopped short. The table was set for two but the way it was set screamed intimate dinner for two. He went upstairs and washed his face and hands dropping his school stuff in his room before coming down stairs again and standing at the table.

Ririn came out with the main meal and placed it on a warmer before removing her oven mitts and then her apron. She had changed her clothes and put on a dress that Kon had never seen before and he was struck speechless.

Ririn looked at the expression on Kon's face and smiled shyly before reaching over and lifting his jaw. It closed with an audible click. "Do you like it?" She twirled about prettily.

The scowl was completely gone from Kon's face. He looked at Ririn as though he was seeing her for the first time. "I like it alright. I have never seen anyone so beautiful as you right now." The words fell from his mouth without any thought to what he was actually saying. His eyes reflected his statement.

Ririn blushed prettily and stood next to her chair for a moment before Kon got control of himself enough to remember to pull out her chair and allow her to be seated.

Dinner was a quiet affair mostly because Kon was at a loss for words and couldn't keep his eyes off Ririn. She was finding it hard to concentrate herself. She kept daydreaming about what Kon had said at lunch and then about his reaction to her dress.

After dinner he helped her clear the table and told her that he would clean up the dishes. When he was done he came out into the living room where she was watching TV. He took the remote and turned it off. He sat down on the couch but made sure that he wasn't to close to her. "Ririn, I think that I like ya. No, that's not right, I know I like ya and I have for a long time now. I think I was afrai….?"

That was as far as he got before she kissed him for the second time that day. This time she made no schoolgirl play for his cheek. She went for his lips and closed her lips over his silencing him from saying anything else. She had heard enough. Her feelings for him had turned long ago but she was unsure about how he felt towards her. He had become civil with her and even nice on occasion but she still didn't know until that moment how he felt.

Isshin came home late that evening and found Kon and Ririn asleep on the couch. Kon was sitting in the corner of the couch with his arm wrapped protectively around Ririn who was curled up in a ball next to him. He smiled and promised himself to make sure Kon got a real wake up call in the morning. He then covered them with a blanket and went to bed himself after turning off all the lights.


	2. Chapter 2

The smell of cooking bacon drifted into his nostrils gently coaxing Kon to wakefulness. He felt a slight stiffness in his body as he realized that he was not in his bed but slumped on the couch and he had a nice warm blanket and the warm pressure of Ririn leaning against him. _"ALL HALT!" _His mind screamed. _"If Ririn is here next to me and I smell cooking from the kitchen then who is doing the cooking? Isshin? This can't be good."_

Then he heard a soft feminine humming from the kitchen and recognized the voice of Yuzu. _"Well at least Dad isn't trying to burn the house down. OH SHIT Where it he?"_

Kon stiffened unconsciously trying to feel out where Isshin might attack him from accidentally waking Ririn.

"Mmmm… What time is it?" She said stretching her arms out and unfolding her legs. She let her head fall into Kon's lap and just smiled up at him with her bright blue eyes. "Oh, Good morning Kon." She said with a sleepy smile on her face.

He returned the smile as he helped her into a sitting position. This proved to be rather difficult as she stayed limp. He felt like he was trying to reposition a cat.

"I see you both are awake now." came the voice of Isshin Kurosaki.

Kon instinctively tried to duck expecting a full fledged wakeup attach from Isshin, only to find him sitting across the room from them with the morning paper in his hands.

"I am wondering what my two youngest are up to this morning. Could it be that they have finally stopped bickering with one another?" he asked in a conversational tone of voice.

Ririn, now fully awake, looked at Kon with a blush as he looked back at her with as bright a complexion. "Umm…. Daddy? I think we better talk about what you're seeing here." She started.

"Uhh… Yeah Dad, We didn't do anything last night….. Well nothing bad anyway…. I mean…. " Kon's face screwed up into one of his scowls as he tried to think of what to say. "Darnit! Dad What I'm trying to say is that I really think that…"

"You love her." Isshin finished for him. "What about you, Ririn? Do you love Kon?" He asked turning his gaze on her.

Ririn feeling the weight of his gaze nodded before answering in a small voice. "Yes Daddy."

Isshin flipped his paper closed and then folded it before standing up and heading for the kitchen not saying a word.

Kon and Ririn just looked at each other not knowing what to do when the flying attack struck throwing Kon across the room. "You let your guard down!"

Kon's feet were on the ground as his back was against the wall and his head on the floor. The stars in his eyes made Ririn leap across the room and pull him into a semi reclined position with his head on her lap. "Kon, are you all right?"

"Oh Yeah see the pretty birdies? Their all flying in a circle" was his response.

"Dad, What the hell was that for?" Ririn screeched in outrage.

"Oh that? Just his normal good morning wakeup from me. Come on get him up, breakfast is ready. Yuzu came over and cooked it. We have a wondrous day ahead of ourselves. It's Rukia's birthday today and we have to get the party preparations going." Isshin was back to his same old goofy self as he almost danced. "That and my adopted children have finally figured out that they love each other!"

When they got to the table, Ririn supporting a still shaky Kon, "Dad, when did you figure out that we loved each other?" Ririn asked being the coherent one.

"I think it was when I saw you trying to help Kon with the Grand Fisher. I could hear the concern in your voice Ririn. I knew that even though you bickered, a lot, you both cared about each other. I also watched as you, Kon, protected Ririn from lots of things like school bullies and even the occasional hollow." Isshin said thoughtfully. "I knew in my heart that you to were perfect for each other, even if you didn't."

"Good morning sleepy heads. I heard that you two confessed to each other last night." Yuzu said cheerfully as she brought in a platter heaping with fried eggs and bacon. "I was wondering how long you two were going to play stupid with each other."

Ririn and Kon both looked at her with massive sweat drops and slack jaws.

"Careful birds could nest in those open mouths you know." Yuzu cheerfully added looking at the stunned pair.

They looked at each other then back at Yuzu. "You too?" they both said in unison.

"Oh yeah, At first I wasn't sure what to make of you two but slowly it dawned on me that You were a lot older than your bodies suggested. I cornered Dad and forced the truth out of him. Amazing what well placed tickling can do to him." She laughed.

"HEY! Stop giving away my weaknesses!" Isshin said in mock indignation.

Yuzu laughed again before proceeding. "I also knew about Ichigo's little secret about you Kon and you too Ririn, I wondered how my plushies kept finding their way into Ichigo's room over and over so I watched carefully and finally caught you sneaking into his room. I figured that what ever was going on I better leave well enough alone. Especially when I heard Ichigo yelling at both of you by name. Then Dad brought you both home in human form as adopted brother and sister. That just cemented everything for me. The rest I learned by watching you."

"So what are you going to do?" Kon asked not really wanting to hear the answer that he anticipated from Isshin.

"What do you think I should do?" Isshin asked him in return.

Kon thought for a moment before responding. He looked down at his plate frowning furiously. "If I were in your shoes, I might try and keep us apart."

Ririn caught her breath at those words.

"But, I'm not in your shoes. I am Kon and I love Ririn and I don't think that I can stop loving her just because of a piece of paper says that we, adopted as children, are now Kurosakis."

Ririn just looked at Kon with wonder in her eyes not beliving what she was hearing.

Isshin turned to her next, "Ririn, What are your thoughts? You're part of this too and you have a big say in what happens."

It was Ririn's turn in the spotlight and she coached her words carefully. "When I was activated as a Bounto detector I had no illusions that what I was doing was only a temporary job and at the completion I would most likely be disposed of. I met Kon then and found him to be totally annoying and full of himself. I also realized that when my job was done that he would still be here doing his job. After the Bounto were all gone I started to wonder why I wasn't disposed of. I was just a Mod Soul after all. Urahara kept us around though and for that I was grateful. I started to look at Kon a little differently after that because he had been out in the world longer than we had and he did, after a fashion, know his way around. When Urahara gave us these final Gigai to stay in I realized that if I wanted to be around someone that it was Kon. As loopy as he could be I still respected the fact that he was the first one on the scene and had survived a lot to be there still. I don't know when it turned in to love but I know it did. I just waited for him to realize it also." She looked up at Isshin. "So my answer about what to do is, give us your blessings and let us make our own mistakes like humans do."

Isshin thought for a moment before answering. "You are right that you both are 'former' Mod Souls. I understand that you are both in love with one another. Here is what you both don't understand though. We made sure that you both were able to be completely human in every respect. You retained your abilities from when you were Mod Souls but about thirty seconds after you entered those gigais you were permanently bonded and there was no way to extract you from them. Urahara made sure that the DNA was different enough between you so that if this did happen that you would have no issues. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you are in love with each other then it's ok. You just can't sleep together in this house until you're married and that's final! Now eat because your sister's cooking is getting cold!"

That afternoon everyone gathered at Ichigo and Rukia's home to celibrate Rukia's birthday. Sado, Orihime, Uryuu, Renji, Tatsuki, And several other friends that they had made along the way were there, even Byakuya put in an appearance. Ichigo brought out a large 'fake' cake that looked like a forest fire as a tease to his wife then brought out the real one that had thirty two candles.

Towards the end of the party Rukia pulled Ririn aside. "Well? How did it go?"

Ririn smiled shyly. "It went almost exactly like you said it would. He loves me and I love him."

"I told you so. Kurosaki men are about as dense as concrete. They don't have a clue when it comes to saying what they feel. Hell, sometimes they don't even know what they are feeling because they are so blind. But they also care for their loved ones unconditionally. They will even charge through the gates of hell to protect us and they all know it. Lord knows that Ichigo has done it enough times for me. I'm sure that Kon will do the same for you. He is a lot like Ichigo after all. He spent enough time as Ichigo before getting his own body. And then there is Isshin. He may be crazy but he's crazy like a fox. There is a method to his madness. After all, look at how similar Ichigo and Kon act now. They are almost like biological brothers they act so much alike." She said with a knowing smile.

"I guess we Kurosaki women have to keep an eye on our men to keep them in line, don't we." Ririn said laughing softly.


	3. Chapter 3

"So when did Kon and Ririn become an item?" Ichigo asked as Rukia slid into bed next to him.

"I'd say that this has been coming for quite some time now." Rukia answered as she curled up in his arms. "She came to me almost a year ago in tears wondering why Kon wouldn't see her as a woman. I told her that it isn't that Kon doesn't see you as a woman, he just doesn't know what to do about it. In that respect he is just like all you Kurosaki men." She finished with a quick kiss to his lips.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"It took almost a year to beat a confession out of you. You were as nervous as a hollow standing in the middle of a captains meeting. I wasn't aware that one person could sweat so much all at once." Her soft laugh was pure music to his ears.

"Yeah and I didn't think that I've ever seen you blush as deep as you did that moment. You didn't even blush that hard when you told Byakuya you were pregnant. OW!" She hit him.

"Yeah so, Ririn asked me for some tips on how to get Kon to notice her. I told her to start acting and dressing more feminine and listen to him. The cooking didn't hurt either." She laughed again.

"So you played matchmaker and because of that they are finally looking at each other. Well I'm glad that they finally opened up to one another. To tell the truth I was getting real tired of Kon coming around and asking for advice that I didn't really have any business giving. I didn't know until yesterday that he was having feelings for Ririn." The smirk on his face was one of satisfaction.

"How long has he been talking to you?" Rukia was now curious.

"Oh, about a year now. I guess he couldn't find the right words either. I know how flustered I was when I proposed to you. and even before that when I told you that I loved you. I guess guys have a hard time speaking of feelings like that." Ichigo was stroking her hair as he spoke. "Now the only thing I have a hard time with is telling you when I get hurt. Thank god that doesn't happen very often anymore."

Rukia didn't respond verbally, she just snuggled closer and kissed him again before nudging him to turn out the light.

Kon thrashed around on the bed trying to get comfortable but was failing miserably. His mind was racing and it all centered on Ririn. _"Why did it take me so long to realize that I love her? She must be right. I must be mentally defective or something. Now all I want to do is hold her close to me, protect her."_ He smacked his forehead with his palms trying to knock some sense into himself. _"Isshin would kill us if he found us sleeping together. I have to get some sleep."_ He resumed his efforts to tire himself in a loosing effort. Finally he tossed off the covers and dressed himself. He grabbed a jacket then opened the window and leapt out. Kon bounded across the city in an effort to work out his frustrations.

As he approched the downtown area he spotted Zennosuke Kurumadani standing on top of an apartment building. He changed directions and landed a few feet from the surprised shinigami. "Oi, Zennosuke. How have you been? Still chasing the spirit of that girl?"

Zennosuke recovered from his shock at the arrival of Kon. "What is it with you people, it seems that everyone can see me." He grumbled. "No I didn't catch her, that new guy with the bankai, Tenaka and his wife took care of her. She ran to them screaming about me wanting to kill her."

Kon started laughing. "Well maybe if you weren't running after her with your zanpakutō out and yelling 'come back here', you might have better luck. Heck, she was already dead and she thought you were going to kill her again. Wouldn't you run?"

The resident shinigami shot him a look that could have melted steel in a wasted effort to shut Kon up. "And just who do you think you are to be dishing out advice on konsoh? You're just a snot nosed human brat who happens to be real sneaky at surprising me."

"Ah, maybe you're right. I still don't know what I'm supposed to do about my adopted sister and my feelings for her." Kon looked out at the city and shrugged. "How long have you been left here now? Almost twenty years? Have you made any friends here in the real world?"

"Ah, yeah. You know that friend of your brothers, Asano? He and I get along fairly well. I mean him being a human and all. The Ishidas just ignore me, that Quincy bastard and that witch of his. Their kids can see me too. They are a nice pair for brats." Zennosuke trailed off running out of anything to say.

"So really you don't have anyone but Keigo and other shinigami to talk to." Zennosuke shot Kon a glare meant to silence him. The effort was wasted as Kon continued. "So basically you stand out here every night waiting for something to happen to give you a moment's relief from nothing. When was the last time you fought a hollow?"

"I don't know. It seems like every time I get a call some other shinigami has already done the job or that Quincy has beaten me to the punch. I haven't even had the chance to do a proper soul burial in months." The shinigami looked at the roof beneath his feet.

"Don't you have a dojo and a partner? You know, like the rest of the fourteenth division?" Kon asked feeling sorry for the shinigami. "Every one stationed here has a partner now a days. Where is yours?"

Zennosuke shook his head. "I'm left over from the days when Ichigo was still getting his act together after his rampage through Soul Society to get Rukia back. Officially I'm still attached to the Fifth squad. I haven't been recalled or transferred to the Fourteenth Division. I was told to come here and take over for Rukia and protect this town. They didn't specify a time frame and haven't sent anyone to relieve me. Hell, the only time I have any contact with anyone it's with the Fourteenth division shinigami. I don't even know who is in charge up there anymore. Last I knew Vice Captain Hinamori was in a coma and the captain was a traitor."

"Dude, are you stupid? Why haven't you talked to Ichigo or Rukia about this? Or for that matter you could have at least called and asked for an order clarification to make them realize you were still here. Back then everything was in chaos and I'll bet you have been forgotten. By the way Hinamori is now Hitsugaya and she is a Captain and she has a child. So I would advise you to get back in touch or at least ask for a transfer. You sure know how to make a persons troubles seem inconsequential don't you." Kon said with a slightly humored grin on his face.

Zennosuke started to get mad at what he heard from the young man standing with him. _"How dare he suggest that I start begging for relief from my position. What does this punk know of Soul Society or the Gotei 13. True he is the younger brother of Ichigo Kurosaki but he has no standing within the ranks of shinigami." _"What do you know about my situation? I'm a Shinigami and a proud member of the Fifth Squad. I'll ask you to leave me alone and go about your business." He turned his back on Kon and leapt away heading for a different roof top.

"Well Kon, that went well. You come out to work out your feelings and get yourself involved with what some forgotten shinigami is up to." He said out loud to himself knowing that there wasn't anyone around to hear his speech. He turned to go back to his bed and try to find some sleep before the coming dawn.

He landed outside the house in the yard between houses and looked up at the open window hoping to make it in as quietly as he could so that he didn't disturb anyone, when he heard. "So this is where you are." Ririn stepped out from behind the corner of the house.

"Yeah, I went on a stroll to try and clear my head. I've been trying to get some sleep but you seem to keep invading my thoughts." He looked at her with a somewhat softer scowl than usual.

"Well if it's any consolation I haven't been able to sleep either. You have been racing around in my head all night also." She smiled gently and stepped up to him.

He took her hand and lifted it to his lips and kissed the open palm.

Ririn felt an almost electric shock run down her spine at the touch of his lips to her palm. She moaned softly. "Oh Kon, what am I going to do with you?" she turned her hand from his lips to a caress of his face. "Come on, lets get some sleep before we have to go to school."

He scooped her up bridal style then leapt up with her in his arms to the open window. After stepping into the room he set her on her feet gently. She wrapped her arms around his waist pulling him close to her enjoying the warmth of his body next to hers. She felt his arms encircle her and hold her there as she drew strength from his presence.

"What time is it?" Kon asked in a soft voice.

"I'm not sure but it's very late." She replied feeling the exhaustion starting to take over.

He released her and sat down on the bed slumping his shoulders and sighing. "And we still have school in the morning and our friends to face. How do you think they are going to take it?" He looked up at her face.

She sat next to him and took his hand in hers. "I don't care about what they think, I only care what you think." She smiled and continued, "Kon I made up my mind a long time ago and I'm not going to change it because some kids can't understand. You make me happy and I'm sure that they'll understand." She kissed his cheek and stood to go back to her room.

He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm again. "G'night Ririn. See you in the morning."

The same electric shock ran through her body as before at the touch of his lips. She turned and threw herself into his arms and kissed him soundly on the lips before extracting herself and leaving the room.

Kon laid there looking at the ceiling as sleep overtook him finally.

**Karakura Highschool Classroom 3A:**

"You're WHAT!" Yelled a very disappointed Keitaro Nitta. "Y-y-you're her brother. How can you be going out with her?"

"I told you before that we are not related. We aren't from the same family, we're adopted and we just developed these feelings for one another. So stop making a big deal about it. It's not like we are ditching you guys. Besides how many times have you asked her out and been turned down? Last time I counted it was around a hundred times." The smirk on Kon's face was a near mirror image of Ichigo's infamous smirk.

"That's no excuse! I will keep on trying to get her to accept my feelings!" Keitaro stated as a fact.

"And you will continue to get shot down so give it up already." Ririn said from behind the now embarrassed boy. "Keitaro, go and bug someone else. I heard that Hina thinks you're sort of cute when you're not making a fool out of yourself. And Shana believes that if you would just grow up and act like a man you might even have some potential."

"Really?" He took off at a run towards the aforementioned girls and skidded to a halt and tried to act cool as he tried to talk to them.

"Did they really say those things?" Kon whispered to Ririn.

"Actually Hina said "For all his looks he is a fool" and Shana said "I wish he would grow up" She giggled a little.

"Oh you're evil." He laughed. "The captain of the women's Kendo team, and the captain of the women's Judo team? You're trying to get him killed aren't you?"

"They won't kill him. But they might just get him to grow up and stop acting like a moron, and they did express a miniscule amount of interest." She concluded.

The sounds of Keitaro being pummeled for doing something stupid by a couple of dark haired beauties could be heard throughout the school as well as his heartfelt apologies. Even Keitaro was smart enough to realize that he needed to accept his punishment and learn.

Kon shook his head in amazement as Keitaro took his beating all the while saying that he was sorry to the two girls. And at some point they relented in their beating and began lecturing him. He looked at them with a very serious face as if he were drinking in every suggestion and command that the two were giving him. The two finally hauled him to his feet and he followed them out the door still being lectured.

"I don't believe it, Keitaro acting almost like a normal human and not some clown on acid." Kon said in amazement.

"I told you so." A satisfied Ririn said crossing her arms across her chest. "I think that he is going to be too busy to continue bothering us about going out together now. I believe that he is taking his first steps into adulthood."

"I take back the crack about you being evil, it was too mild. You're diabolical." Kon snickered.

"Thank you." Ririn smiled to herself and flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Come on we have to get home. I have to get dinner started, unless you want Dad to cook."

The look of horror that came over Kon's face was priceless. She grabbed his hand and started hauling him away giving him just enough time to grab their school bags as she half dragged him along.


End file.
